


Nice Toss, Kageyama!

by covacola



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Study, Drabble, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26372908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/covacola/pseuds/covacola
Summary: repost from my twt abt Iwaizumi complimenting middle school Kageyama like once and it sticks with him.
Kudos: 12





	Nice Toss, Kageyama!

**Author's Note:**

> taken from this [twitter thread,](https://mobile.twitter.com/covahq/status/1263322702011527168) inspired by [this tweet.](https://mobile.twitter.com/killugod/status/1263092677165191168)

"Nice toss, Kageyama." 

It was an offhand comment. In truth, an untrue compliment. And yet hearing that from Iwaizumi... Kageyama all but froze. 

The toss had been okay. Nothing had been wrong, but it wasn't especially good either. Passable. Iwaizumi hit it. That was all.

He looked to Iwaizumi, still a bit stunned, but the older boy had already turned away, chatting (bickering) with Oikawa, who didn't bother to keep his voice down. "Oi, oi. Don't inflate his ego any more than it already is." Some others snickered at that. But he wouldn't turn away.

He would show them. Show them that he really was as good as he said. (Never mind that no one doubted that, that that wasn't really the problem.) 

Still, as he walked home that night, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Iwaizumi's voice echoed around his head.

"Nice toss, Kageyama."

His whole chest swelled. Was it pride? No. He was proud of most of his tosses anyway. Even though it was aggravating how the others couldn't keep up. So what was it then? 

And then he realized it. What he'd really felt then. Why it had affected him so tremendously.

He felt his eyes water, no longer needing to hold back to save his pride. 

He just wanted recognition. Validation. 

Acceptance. 

That's why it hurt so much. Because he knew. He'd known it already but... He knew that if he didn't get his temper in check, he'd never be accepted. Not by those people. Not by this team. 

And he tried. It was hard for him-- him and his pride. But he tried. He knew, but that didn't make things any easier, and especially not with everyone still calling him "King of the Court."

He was trying. Not that anyone really understood. Was it any wonder he snapped so hard at Tsukishima? But all of that-- the realization thanks to Iwaizumi, the push from Daichi, the fostering under this teams care, the scars from middle school-- that's what made it feel so good. What lifted such a huge load off his chest when he finally heard those words again. 

"Nice toss, Kageyama!"


End file.
